Over the next few days you’ll be coming in contact with friends, family & acquaintances that you may not have seen for some time. Many of them will be astonished at how you’ve changed!! Give them a gift that doesn’t cost you a cent (in fact, you could actually make some! See our affiliate program for details). Share how they, too, can win at the losing game! Send them to www.sprayitaway.com – they will be forever grateful!

I saw this phrase online somewhere & it stuck with me. It really is true! As I began losing weight & getting lighter the world DID seem to get brighter. I had more energy, I felt better about myself, and I began to feel that if I could conquer this I could conquer anything! As I began to release and get rid of my physical excess body weight I found that I also began to release weight in other areas of my life. I began to desire to get rid of clutter & excess in every area. Wow! I am so excited and proud to say that through this journey not only has my physical body changed but my emotional, spiritual, financial and mental lives have been affected positively as well.

One of the huge benefits to taking time for my walk(s) each day is that not only does it do my body good but it also does my soul good! It gives me time to think, meditate, imagine, contemplate, process, create… This morning was no exception. I usually have my iPhone with me to keep track of the time, listen to an audio or to music, jot down t0-do’s or ideas, text or talk.

This morning I texted David telling him that I had lost 1.4 lbs this morning! I was so pumped! Then I proceeded to lament “Why, oh why did I cheat over the last 2 weeks! Why did I do that? Where could I be today if I hadn’t been cheating?” I don’t know whether any of you have been there or not…?! I figured maybe some of you have or perhaps I can help some of you to not have to experience this by sharing my experience with you. So… I had begun to cheat and make excuses for doing so. What was I thinking??

Looking back over my weight loss journey I noted that during my first 2 rounds I didn’t even dare to think of cheating! How silly would that be! There’s a protocol to follow. A specific way to do things in order to get the desired results so of course the right thing to do would be to follow the program! That’s how it works! But…somehow this time around has been different. I know I could come up with all sorts of reasons & excuses to tell you but I think it pretty much comes down to lack of focus& commitment to my goal and purpose. I had become semi satisfied with where I was at. I mean… look at how far I’ve come! Part of the problem was that when people would say “you look great – you don’t need to lose any more weight” I would allow my mind to hear their words when I was tempted instead of listening to the truth that I knew every time I would look in the mirror or see the numbers on the scale or try to hide the pounds I still have to lose! Yes, it’s true, I have come a long way and I never want to forget to celebrate & congratulate myself on what I’ve accomplished so far but… I’m not done! I want to finish what I’ve started.

I was chatting with my friend, Deanna, the other day and one of the comments she made about this very topic was…”You’re supposed to ‘spray it away’ not ‘waste it away’! Good point! Why ‘waste’ money, time, energy and emotions following the protocol only part of the way? Cheating never gives long term satisfaction – it always causes you more grief than its worth!

As I thought about ‘cheating’ a poem was brought to mind. Robert Fulghum wrote “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. (Great poem – you can read it here) Didn’t we learn in Kindergarten that cheating was wrong and that there would always be consequences if we chose to go that route?! Over the last two weeks I’ve had to deal with the consequences of cheating. No fun – 😦 For a few days I thought I could get away with it. I actually lost weight the first day but then I stayed the same, then I gained, then stayed the same, then dropped, then gained – what a roller coaster! It was so easy to grab “just a few” almonds here, some raisins there, a ‘taste’ of mashed potatoes here, ‘one bite’ of a cookie there. It shouldn’t really matter should it? But the numbers don’t lie. All in all over 2 weeks of following protocol properly but adding ‘cheats’ here & there my weight had basically stayed the same. Wow – typically 14 days would mean a 7-9 lb weight loss for me and this time it was a big fat ‘0’! What a waste! I tell you, once you begin to cheat it becomes easier to do it again and again. That can lead to a never ending cycle! Do I regret it? You bet!

You may be wondering why even just a small cheat can affect your weight so drastically. According to Dr. Simeons: “… the blood is saturated with food and the blood volume has adapted itself so that it can only just accommodate the 500 Calories which come in from the intestinal tract in the course of the day. Any additional income, however little this may be, cannot be accommodated and the blood is therefore forced to increase its volume sufficiently to hold the extra food, which it can only do in a very diluted form. Thus it is not the weight of what is eaten that plays the determining role but rather the amount of water which the body must retain to accommodate this food.”

So you may be asking – Now what!?

I believe that each new day can be a fresh start! Isn’t that awesome! Forgive yourself, learn from your mistakes, & then move on! Remember that this is a journey. It’s one step at a time. If you stop, move on. If you step backwards start stepping forwards again. On a daily basis read your goals. Become accountable to a friend. As much as you can remove temptation. Quit beating up on yourself, instead believe in yourself & look forward to reaching your goal!

Five days ago I re-committed to my goals & my purpose for losing the extra weight and I’m pleased to announce that over the last 5 days I’ve lost 5 lbs! Wouldn’t you know it – the protocol works!

So what happens when there is a special event in your life which includes food? You have three choices… but that’s another day’s topic!

In conclusion, I just want to say… DONT CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s NOT WORTH IT!!!